Interview and Photos by Thomas Goldman
Where are you from and how did you get into skating?
I am from DC. I was born here, and then I moved to Maryland for four years but came back. My brother would skateboard and I wanted to be just like him, so I started skating too. He was also into tech decks, and I thought they were dope.
Growing up in DC, who were your main influences, and what got you hyped on skating?
My friends around me would get me hyped. I would always skate at Palisades skate park with my friends Nick, Dean, and Jack, and they would always hype me up to skate more. We would all go there and have these sessions after school just messing around and learning new tricks, it was awesome. Once I started going downtown and seeing all the guys gathered together at the plaza, I thought it was amazing to see so many people there. And then starting to see Bobby Worrest skating down there at the plaza was super cool to me and still is. He can put together the best lines.
Seeing people from your hometown ripping is sick. Seeing it in person is so much different than seeing it in parts.
Yeah, it was so sick. I hadn’t discovered videos at that point yet, and I don’t think my brother had either. Once I started getting into skating, my brother started fading out from it, so it was sick just seeing everyone out there in person. Super inspiring.
Who do you skate with on a regular basis in DC? Who’s out at plaza, who are you hitting up?
My friends Haneef, Dylan, Toast, Mikey, and Avery. There’s a lot of people to name, but for the most part, it’s that handful of people that I usually go out and skate with.
You recently did a board graphic for Brian over at Crushed. How do you know Brian, and how did that opportunity come about?
Well, when I was like 12 or 13, I had met this guy Tom who worked at the shop at the time, and he told me to come by and say what’s up. Then I went by and eventually met everyone there and got familiar with all of them. Later on, John John Rosemond was hyped about these drawings I was doing that I would send him, and Brian eventually asked me if I could do a graphic and I was hyped. I worked on it for a couple of months, but I finally got it together and I’m hyped on how it came out.
You have a part coming out soon with a younger squad in Richmond. What has it been like going there to film a bunch?
It’s been sick going down to Richmond to skate and film with Polly and everyone, it feels so much more productive than being in the city. There are so many distractions up here and it’s fun going down there with a set plan of getting clips, and then also being able to hang out and chill with friends. All the spots are cool, and when we would go to spots, we would find other spots that I would end up skating on the way. It’s also fun making spots. For the most part in DC, people just skate stuff that’s already there. So, it’s fun being able to manipulate the spot to your liking down there.
What keeps you busy when you aren’t skating?
Usually, I spend a lot of time taking photos outside of skating. I have been making photos for like the past three years, but for the past year, I have been really into it. Usually, I walk and bike around alleys and up and down streets or just hanging out with my friends taking photos of my observations while doing that.
What is your go-to camera and film?
I have a Leica M4-P with a 28mm lens, and that’s the camera I’m going to be set with for a while. I usually shoot Ilford HP5 which is black and white film, but sometimes I’ll shoot some color film when I feel like switching it up. It’s fun shooting with black and white cause it’s challenging; you have to look for textures and light and stuff.
You also develop film on your own and make prints. Do you ever make them for your friends or sell them?
Yeah, I do. I usually don’t keep any of my prints, I just give them away to all my friends. I would rather have my friends and family have them because I really appreciate going over to someone’s house and seeing my print on their wall, or seeing something I made on their table.
Who are some photographers you like?
I like Lee Friedlander. He is super dope, all the photos he made were so sick and inspiring to me. My friend Zane Grant makes super sick wide angle black and white photos, he’s always helping me and hyping me up to make more photos. Owen Basher takes the sickest skate photos ever, he actually has a book coming out soon. It’s sick to have friends who are photographers like Owen, Zane, and even you, Thomas.
So, you are moving to Richmond pretty soon to start school. What drew you here, and what are you looking forward to the most?
Well, I went to an art focused high school. I was always interested in VCU arts because a couple of my friends went there and loved it. I looked into it and I decided it’s close enough to home and far enough at the same time, and I can focus on photography there, so it felt like it was perfect. I just really like Richmond, too. I visited a couple of times and it had that homey vibe that I wanted.
Do you have any goals or anything you want to accomplish while you’re living here while you’re going to school?
I want to skate a handrail.
There aren’t many here, but there is probably one for you somewhere.
I’ll do an ABD on green rails. I just want to skate a bunch, put out footage, and just learn a lot of tricks. Learning new tricks is a lot of fun. I also want to shoot more photos, because Richmond holds the exact feeling of the kind of photos I like to make. It’s an old country like place with fences and shit like that.
Is there anyone you’d like to shout out or just give thanks to?
I wanna thank my mom, dad, Lily, and all the people that support me. And shout out Haneef Wilson, that’s my dude.
